Thursday, October 2, 2014

To Dwell in Darkness - Deborah Crombie

I only 'discovered' Deborah Crombie a bit ago, but I instantly knew the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series was one I would be following. The latest (#16), To Dwell in Darkness, has just released.

Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid has recently been transferred from Scotland Yard to a London borough. When a bombing in a local train station results in a horrifying death, the case falls to Duncan and his new team. Gemma is also an Inspector with the CID and it is Melody, one of her Detective Sergeants, who is on the scene when the attack occurs. But things are not as straight forward as they might first appear. Duncan isn't sure about his new team and ends up taking Melody, Gemma and a former sergeant into his confidence as he runs his own investigation parallel to the official one. Gemma, too, is dealing with a nasty case, but it is not given as much time as Duncan's.

Crombie's cases are intriguing. The factual evidence is there for us to start putting the clues and pieces along with the team. The interviews, the interrogations, the intuition and the characterizations - the personal aspect, is what makes the investigation really interesting.

But, the most captivating of all, is the large group of characters that appear in each book, their lives changing and growing with every new entry. They're an eclectic bunch, but I have become fond of them all. They're so well drawn, they've become almost real, especially Duncan, Gemma and their children. I feel like I know them. Although others may complain that the domestic details of the characters detracts from a good mystery, I find it gives the story much more depth. I've become invested in their lives and want to see where Crombie takes them from here. Sitting down with the latest feels like catching up with old friends.

I found the historical headers referring to St. Pancras at the beginning of each chapter interesting.

The case is wrapped up by the final pages, but there are some threads left dangling that have only whet my appetite for the next book in this wonderful series. Read an excerpt of To Dwell in Darkness.

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FTC Disclaimer:

Unless otherwise indicated, all of the books I review are either purchased by me or borrowed from the library. When a review copy has been received from an author, publisher or company, it is in exchange for a fair review and has no effect on my opinion of the book. There is no monetary compensation for reviews. All reviews are my own personal reaction to and opinion of the book.